I think I am a little obsessed with photos that feature girls wearing vintage kimonos as toppers over modern outfits. Maybe it's because I do it all the time myself and because I find the fabric used in vintage kimonos fascinating! Vintage kimonos really use some of the best textiles that have ever been produced and the range and variety of design and print that you can find are astounding. I am a bona fide silk nut — you will find that the majority of vintage pieces I find for the site are silk — it is just such an amazing and versatile fabric. And when you get to kimonos — well there is no garment better on the planet to use silk to it's full potential. As you move back through the ages you go from screened silks, to fine woven light brocade silks and machine embroidered pieces to the highly prized hand painted and hand embroidered versions. The variations of what you can find and the color combinations seem endless. They are the perfect pops of color over modern pieces and instantly allow you to visually convey an immediate sense of being an individual. When you have endless designs and colors to choose from what you end up buying becomes a reflection of you!
Look how lovely this short version works over a full skirt and belted on Eva!
Do you wear kimonos as toppers? Send me a photo of your best look!
Photo: The Sartorialist Shop Vintage Kimonos at Shrimpton Couture here